Sanders???

[Siggy00]

They didn't care about WR development the minute they fired Arians.

Now it seems they want to eliminate the WRs he developed also.

Todd Haley in charge of the future of the Steelers offense.

God help us.

[thor75]

They didn't care about WR development the minute they fired Arians.

Now it seems they want to eliminate the WRs he developed also.

Todd Haley in charge of the future of the Steelers offense.

God help us.

I didn't like Arians at all, I'm glad he's gone. I can't judge Haley after one year. Our elite QB needs to put on his big boy pants and accept that change as well.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I'm guessing sanders is gone.

I could see him doing very well in their system.

[Siggy00]

I didn't like Arians at all, I'm glad he's gone. I can't judge Haley after one year. Our elite QB needs to put on his big boy pants and accept that change as well.

He has. Always did. Even though they cut his balls off and turned him into an afterthought.

Now the next excuse for Haley by the Yinzers will be he has to develop WRs again because Wallace and Sanders were let go. So he'll have another "first year" to milk for a 3rd season in 2014.

If Haley wasn't Dick Haley's son, he'd be working at Oakmont.

[supersteeler]

Now that Ben doesn't have Wallace here maybe he won't be looking down the field to throw that bomb, and this change might be a good thing.
Sanders and Brown with another year in Haley's offense may thrive in it, plus it helps Ben get rid of the ball quicker.
Remember at a point last season the Steelers were tops in the league in third down completions and one of the leaders in TOP, all we need now is that other threat in the redzone....Miller..Eifert and Plax.

[Siggy00]

Yeah, a good thing. Break up one of the NFL's best duo's.

Good God.

Pssssst.....TOP was never a problem under Arians either.

[supersteeler]

Here is another viewpoint from nice Pick Cowher:


I for one believe that Emmanuel Sanders’ recent trip to Foxborough was nothing more than an attempt by New England’s Front Office people to force Brandon Lloyd to restructure his current deal. Nevertheless, it would not shock me in the least if members of the Patriots’ brass want to sign Pittsburgh’s versatile pass-catcher. When healthy, Sanders has not only been a reliable 3rd Wide Receiver for the Steelers (2012: 44 Catches, 626 Yards, 1 TD), but has also chipped in as a Kickoff and Punt Returner for the franchise too.
Sanders made a trip to Foxborough earlier today. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Regardless of whether or not Pittsburgh’s Restricted Free Agent goes to New England though, Wide Receiver will continue to exist as a position of need for the team due to the lack of depth there.
Behind Antonio Brown, the only players currently on the Steelers’ roster with any sort of expereince are veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress.

I personally have no idea how much “Plax” has left in the tank, but I will be interested to see how he performs after a full offseason of workouts and Preseason games under his belt for the first time since 2008.
While Burress (2012: 3 Catches, 42 Yards, 1 TD) is no longer the game-breaking pass-catcher he once was, his height (6’6”), and experience could still make him a valuable weapon for Big Ben to utilize in the Red Zone. I should also add that with Tight End Heath Miller still recovering from his knee injury, the Steelers will need a tall target for Roethlisberger to find while Heath is sidelined. Burress however is nearing 36 years of age and is only signed through the 2013 season. Thus, his future with the franchise beyond 2013 is murky at best.
I like Jerricho Cotchery as a run-blocker and reliable Slot Receiver (2012: 17 Catches, 205 Yards). But Jerricho will turn 32 next year, and will become an Unrestricted Free Agent to boot. The Steelers are sure to be “cap-crunched” again next offseason, and will likely try to get younger on both sides of the ball unless the Front Office continues to re-up washed-up and past-their-prime veterans like William Gay and Larry Foote. So by the time next Spring rolls around, it could be a “numbers game” for Jerricho. Like Burress, Cotchery might also be forced to leave town if he is deemed “too expensive” or “replaceable” by those running the ”rebuilding show” in Pittsburgh.


As far as any depth I did not mention, I guess I could include David Gilreath in the “WR mix” as well. Yet I highly doubt that the Steelers’ Coaching Staff would waste a roster spot on him when they already have Cotchery, and possibly even Sanders, set to play in the Slot for next year. If Gilreath is able to make the roster though, it would probably be as a Returner and Special Teams player, not a Wide Receiver.
If you have not noticed by now readers, it would be downright foolish of Colbert & Co. to ignore their team’s lack of depth at Wide Receiver. With Pittsburgh’s current issues not going away at the position, they must find a way to cover their loss of Mike Wallace, and potentially Sanders, through the Draft process.
My ultimate hope is that the Patriots will pass on Sanders, and this whole situation only began because “Grumbledore” and the rest Front Office did not want to pay Lloyd his roster bonus worth $3 million. But regardless of whether or not “Manny” takes his skill-set up to Foxborough, the exisiting depth at Wide Receiver is a major cause for concern for the Steelers.
Sadly for Big Ben and the rest of Pittsburgh’s Offense, that particular position will continue to remain an issue until it is properly addressed.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

it wasn't a good thing but we just couldn't afford to give wallace the kind of dollars he was going to command.

that's why its ridiculous to get upset at mike and hope he blows his knee out as some here have said. It was never his fault that the steelers were up against it in terms of the cap.

[supersteeler]

it wasn't a good thing but we just couldn't afford to give wallace the kind of dollars he was going to command.

that's why its ridiculous to get upset at mike and hope he blows his knee out as some here have said. It was never his fault that the steelers were up against it in terms of the cap.

Agreed, the same with Sanders, we need him more now than ever.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

Agreed, the same with Sanders, we need him more now than ever.

I agree, but at what price?

at some point you have to weigh his salary vs the value of the draft pick.

lets say the deal averages 3-4 million per year. Is sanders worth that? I'm not sure.

[supersteeler]

I agree, but at what price?

at some point you have to weigh his salary vs the value of the draft pick.

lets say the deal averages 3-4 million per year. Is sanders worth that? I'm not sure.

I would say at this point we couldn't match that kind of offer if he was offered that by the Pats, I think we'll end up keeping Manny which imo is a good thing.

[Siggy00]

Wallace got $30 million guaranteed.

He was willing to take $20 million guaranteed to stay last season. The Steelers went up to $18 mil.

So we lost him over $2 million. And in the process Wallace gained $10 million himself.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I hope he stays too, don't get me wrong.

but there is a point of diminishing returns. The steelers must decide where that line is if the pats decide to make an offer.

[supersteeler]

If The Patriots do offer Sanders an offer sheet, the Steelers have up to one week to match.

[deljzc]

I think it would be a pretty significant blow to the offense if we lose Sanders. I see him as an up-and-coming producer in our offense now that Wallace is gone. It would not shock me if he was targeted 100+ times this season as a starter. That translates into a 65+ Catch, 900 yard, 6 TD season. And that's MINIMUM. If Brown started getting bracket coverage, Sanders could be targeted 120 times and have a 1000 yard season for us.

This offense (Haley or Arians) targets WR's. That's Roethlisberger's M.O. When you add up the targets, it's not going to be Plaxico and Cotchery that end up with Wallace's targets. It was Sanders in a big way.